Head of the Herd
by Aerle
Summary: "Five weeks had passed by, and Benn still wasn't back. Shanks started to worry. Benn was a very punctual person, if he was going to be late, he would have let Shanks know!" Centaur!AU. Written for the OPscifiandfanatsy. Cover pic by MyLadyDay


Written for the Opscifiandfantasy 2015.

Artwork is made by the wonderful and talented MyLadyDay, who also beta'ed the story and put up with my whining. Marco's design is also hers.

Set in the same universe as _Afraid This Time_

* * *

"Do you really have to go?" Shanks whined for the umpteenth time.

Benn turned around and sighed, but he had a fond smile on his face. "For the last time, yes, I have to go. You know I don't want to, but I have to."

"And I can't come?"

He reached out and gently caressed Shanks' face. "It's family only, I'm sorry. I would have taken you with me if I could. First, I have to go to the funeral, and then the new head of the family will be elected. After that, I will come back home right away."

Shanks folded his arms before his chest. "You know they're gonna make you the new head," he said softly.

"You don't know that for sure," Benn replied as he continued packing.

"Yes, I do! You're the wisest _and_ the hottest," Shanks huffed.

Benn chuckled. "They don't really select you on the latter criteria, though." He sighed and straightened again. "Shanks, you can't expect me not to go now that the head of the family has passed away. It'll be chaos. And it's still my family."

Shanks snorted. "I thought _I_ was your family."

Benn smiled and caressed a lock of hair out of Shanks' face. "You're a different kind of family. One I actually like," he added. He lifted up the bags and placed them on his horseback. It had its advantages being a centaur.

Benn put his arm through his bow to hang it on his back. "Okay, I think that's all." He walked over to Shanks and kissed his lips briefly. "I'll be back in a month. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, okay?"

* * *

Shanks didn't do anything stupid, not by his standards anyway. It was boring without Benn, despite his family's attempts to cheer him up by throwing parties. Still, it wasn't the same when Benn wasn't around. Benn, who was serious and responsible, but whose smile could warm Shanks' heart in a second.

Five weeks had passed by, and Benn still wasn't back. Shanks started to worry. Benn was a very punctual person, if he was going to be late, he would have let Shanks know!

Shanks managed for one more day, but after that, he couldn't sit still anymore. He started packing, despite Roo's and Yasopp's attempts to stop him.

"Benn will be back,"Roo tried. "He's responsible. Maybe he just got lost."

Shanks shook his head, however. "I have a bad feeling. I'm going to look for him."

He was about to leave when Yasopp blocked his way.

"Are you sure he's coming back?" he asked quietly.

"What are you talking about? Of course he will!"

"You said it yourself, he is likely to become the new head of his family," Yasopp continued. "He won't have time to come back to us if he gets that job."

"He is not going to accept that position," Shanks snapped. "Not without letting us know, anyway."

Yasopp crossed his arms before his chest and sighed. "It's his family, Shanks."

Shanks looked away. Yasopp had a family of his own, his son. But Benn had never cared about the people he was related to by blood, only the family he had chosen. And Shanks was one of them.

"I don't expect you to come with me," he said. "I know you don't want to leave Usopp. Roo," he turned to his other friend, "you stay here too. There's no need for you to leave your home because of my hunches. I'll be back soon, _with_ Benn."

* * *

Shanks took the most likely path Benn would have taken. But journeying by yourself was hardly fun, he soon came to discover. For one thing, he had too much time alone with his thoughts. And those thoughts usually surrounded Benn.

Why hadn't he returned? Had he actually accepted the position of head of that family? Shanks had thought he wouldn't, because it would stop him from returning to his friends, the family he had chosen, but Benn was responsible. If they actually needed him, he wouldn't even hesitate to help his relatives.

Still, Shanks couldn't believe that Benn wouldn't send him a message if he wasn't planning on coming back. Unless he thought it wouldn't take long, but still, he had promised to be back within a month.

Did something happen?

That thought scared him. He knew Benn was strong and could take care of himself, but if there had been an ambush or if he had been caught off guard…

The only way he could stop the voices from driving him mad was to drink, but there were only so many places to get booze. There were human villages along the path he took, though centaurs were hardly welcome there. Usually, centaurs tended to raid human towns for alcohol and other things they might need.

Shanks received weary glances whenever he entered towns, but despite being alone, they didn't dare approach him, except for the bartender, who gave Shanks what he asked for. Human bars weren'tdesigned for centaurs, so Shanks made quite a mess, throwing tables and chairs over. He got a little clumsy when he drank

One night, he got particularly drunk and stumbled out of the bar. His hooves clattered on the clinkers of the street as he swayed from left to right. Even with his four legs, it was hard to stay upright. Maybe he had gone a little too far tonight, but thoughts of Benn had invaded his mind, and booze tended to sooth those.

This time, the thoughts had been persistent. Shanks had been looking for a month now, taking the route Benn should take back, but not finding anything. What if he never found Benn? Shanks couldn't imagine his life without his best friend and lover.

He had draught one pint of beer after another to shut that voice up.

Which left him at his current situation.

Shanks leaned against a wall to try to regain his balance. The world spun around him as he tried to take deep breaths. Finally, he felt steady enough to continue his journey.

He pushed himself off the wall, only to immediately almost lose his balance again.

Slender hands held him up, and a soothing voice said, "Seems like you have drunk enough."

The voice, along with the words, reminded Shanks of what Benn would say when Shanks was drunk, but when he looked up, he didn't look in the scarred face he had missed so much. The person helping him up wasn't even a centaur.

The tall, slender man made sure he was standing on all four legs, before he took a step back. Shanks was looking at an elf, proven by the long, pointy ears.

The elf looked at him worriedly, and Shanks realised he had been staring. He shook his head to clear his mind, but immediately was overtaken by dizziness.

The elf caught him again and chuckled a little. "Come on, it's time to sleep."

* * *

Shanks woke up and found that he was lying on the ground, rolled on his horse side. It was a vulnerable position and one he usually didn't take – not unless he was around his herd, and even then he preferred to stand.

He must have been really drunk.

He noticed someone was leaning against his horse body. Groggily, he opened his eyes, only to immediately close them again when the light hit him. He groaned.

The person leaning against him shifted and chuckled. "Good morning."

Shanks groaned again as he placed an arm over his eyes. He didn't know the voice, but it did sound familiar. Its baritone reminded him of Benn. Shanks sighed.

"Do you want something to eat? I hope you're not too hungover," the voice continued cheerfully.

Shanks took a deep breath. How nice would it be if Benn was here with him.

Butit wasn't Benn, even if the person talked like him. It was no use to continue pretending. Time to end his dream.

Shanks opened his eyes.

Leaning against his horse side, an elf was rummaging through a bag. His head was partly shaven, aside from in the middle, where the remainder of his long blond hair was tied in a braid.

The elf turned around as if he felt Shanks looking at him. He smiled and held out a waterskin to him.

Shanks took it wearily, but as soon as he saw the waterskin, he realised how dry his throat was. He took the water from the elf and started drinking until there wasn't a single drop left.

The elf chuckled. "I take it you're a little hungover. How does breakfast sound?" He handed Shanks some bread and meat.

"Thanks," Shanks said as he started stuffing his face. If the water was poisoned, it didn't really matter if he ate poisoned food as well, did it? Between bites, he said, "I'm Shanks, by the way."

"Marco," the elf introduced himself. "So tell me, what was a centaur doing all by himself in a human village?"

"I just wanted booze," Shanks said with a shrug.

"Where is your herd?"

Shanks kept silent and played with his bread.

Marco's eyes softened. "I won't pry. It's just unusual to see a centaur alone."

"I'm looking for someone," Shanks confessed. "My friend… He has gone missing when he was visiting his family."

"Is he a centaur too?" Marco inquired.

Shanks nodded.

"But not from your herd?"

"He is!" Shanks said firmly. "We formed our own herd. It's just… The head of his family died and he had to go to the funeral. The new head would be appointed as well, and I fear it might have been him. But still, he wouldn't just disappear without telling me. Something must have happened."

"How long has he been missing?" Marco asked.

"Nearing two months now." Shanks looked away. "I can't shut up the nagging feeling I have that he is in danger."

"You must be quite fond of him that you travel this far from the forest alone." Marco smiled warmly. "You said he is part of your herd, your family," he said slowly.

Suddenly, he rose. "I can't help you on this, but I know someone who might have some information."

"Really?" Shanks rose as well as relief flooded through him. After three weeks of nothing, this glimmer of hope felt like his first accomplishment. "Who is it?"

"Pops," Marco said with a smile. "Come, I'll take you to him." He started to walk, but when Shanks didn't follow him, he stopped and turned around.

"Look, I appreciate the help, but I'm not sure it's a good idea for me to waltz into an elf household."

It wasn't like elves and centaurs were enemies. Centaurs wouldn't dare plunder an elven village; elves were too accurate with a bow and arrow for that. But walking into their territory voluntarily?

However, Marco started to laugh. "Who said anything about elves?"

* * *

Shanks still wasn't quite sure if it was a good idea for him to follow Marco to his father's place, but after careful consideration, he had decided that the opportunity was too good to pass up. If this 'Pops' had any information about Benn, even only that he had passed by several weeks earlier, it was more to go on than Shanks had had before. He wasn'teven sure the route he took was the same as Benn had taken.

They walked alongside a river for a while, when suddenly Shanks noticed the water ripple. He stopped in his tracks.

Long, black hair swung through the air as a human body appeared. The person wiped the strands sticking to his face away, as a large fishtail appeared as well.

"Marco! You're back!" the merman said.

Marco stopped in his tracks. "Were you waiting for me, Izo?" he said with a smile. "Or did you fight with Thatch again?"

The merman, Izo, huffed and crossed his arms before his chest. "It's not my fault he's stupid," he muttered.

Marco chuckled. "Shanks, allow me to introduce you to my brother, Izo. Izo, meet my new friend Shanks."

Izo observed him for a moment. "You better stay away from Whitey," he finally said.

Shanks cocked an eyebrow. "Who's that?"

"She's part of our family," Marco explained. "A water nymph."

"Just because I'm a centaur doesn't mean that I'm fitting the nymph chasing stereotype," Shanks huffed.

Izo grinned. "Just warning you. I'll go ahead to warn we have a guest." He dove back underwater and swam away against the stream.

Marco poked the still pouting Shanks in the ribs. "Don't worry, he doesn't know you're taken."

Shanks' cheeks heated up for some reason. He hadn't told Marco Benn was his lover as well as his friend. Apparently, he was quite obvious.

They travelled on, and, soon, Shanks could hear children's laughter. When they were standing on top of the hill, Shanks could see different kinds of species interacting with each other in harmony.

Marco introduced each of them as a sibling of his. Shanks couldn't say he was able to remember all the names because there were so many, but he wasn't the only centaur he saw. There were also elves, humans, dwarves, and many more. He even saw half elves, a race despised by both humans and elves, laughing cheerfully.

Marco smiled fondly to each and every one of them.

Suddenly, someone approached. A faun this time, arms crossed before his bare chest.

"Why was I the only one who didn't know you'd brought a centaur with you?" he asked indignantly.

"Izo met us part of the way," Marco said.

The faun huffed. "That explains it. I can't believe he's still mad at me!"

Marco sighed. "I'm not going to meddle in your fight. I'll only get in the middle again. Anyway, Thatch, this is Shanks. Shanks, Thatch."

The corner of Shanks' mouth curved into a smile. So this was Thatch.

"Shanks will join us for dinner. Won't you?" Marco turned to Shanks.

Shanks thought for a moment. He hadn't eaten properly since he had left his herd, only what he could hunt or gather. So he nodded.

"See? I'm the one who _should_ know when we have guests," Thatch muttered. " _I'm_ the one making dinner."

"One person more or less shouldn't matter that much, right?" Marco said with a smile. "I'm going to take Shanks to Pops. Make sure we won't be disturbed, yeah?"

"I'm the cook, not the bouncer," Thatch huffed.

Marco shook his head with a smile and motioned Shanks to follow him.

Marco led him to an enormous cave, where he said his Pops would be waiting.

'Pops' turned out to be an actual giant, but fortunately, he wasn't the bone-crushing type. He was friendly, smiling warmly at Shanks and shaking his hand.

"My name is Whitebeard," he introduced himself. "Any friend of Marco is welcome here." While he was sitting down, he still towered over Marco and Shanks both.

"I'll get you something to drink," Marco said as he left.

Whitebeard smiled warmly. "He always knows what I need. Well then, Red, what can I do for you?"

"I am looking for someone," Shanks said. "A black haired centaur by the name of Benn."

Whitebeard hummed to himself."Centaurs are rare in these parts, especially by themselves."

"I saw several of them outside, though not nearly enough to be a herd," Shanks said.

Whitebeard smiled again. "Yes, my children come from all kinds of different backgrounds. The ones you saw have been repudiated by their herd. All of them, whatever species, have lost their family in one way or another, literally or figuratively."

It was Shanks' turn to smile. "That sounds like our herd, though those are all centaurs. We have started a family of our own. However, Benn hasn't rejected his blood relatives, which is the reason why he left. He had to go to the funeral of the head of his family, and he hasn't returned since."

Marco returned at that moment with a barrel and two bottles of booze. Whitebeard took the barrel gratefully. It was cup sized in his hand. He took a sip before he started to talk.

"About a month and a half ago, a black haired centaur travelled by, to the north. The villagers became restless, but he left them alone. He seemed to be in a hurry."

"That's Benn!" Shanks called out, partly relieved. At least he was on the right path.

"He has not returned along the same path."

Shanks swallowed and nodded. He hadn't expected that Benn would have, but he had hoped a little that Benn may have returned while Shanks was underway. No such luck.

"But it would seem that your friend has ridden faster than you have," Marco said.

"The meeting he went to was family only. I only roughly know the direction he was headed in, not his exact destination." Shanks took a draught from his bottle.

Whitebeard plucked at his moustache. "Stay here tonight. Tomorrow, Marco will come with you on your journey."

Marco looked up, surprised. "Pops?"

"Didn't you say you wanted to travel the world?" Whitebeard said with a smile. "I know you want to stay with your family, but this will be good for you."

Marco looked doubtful for a moment, but eventually nodded. "Alright. I will accompany you until you have found Benn," he said to Shanks. "I promise."

Shanks took a few more draughts as he thought it over. Logically, it sounded like a good idea. First of all, he would have company, which would make the journey more enjoyable in itself. Secondly, perhaps Marco could drown out the nagging thoughts about Benn.

"Okay," he finally said as he placed his bottle on a nearby rock, "but on one condition." A smirk appeared on his face. "There has to be a party tonight!"

* * *

The party was amazing. Shanks realised how he had missed partying with people who trusted him not to raid their village. And it definitely beat drinking alone.

Shanks got nice and smashed while he got to know Whitebeard's children. He especially got along with Thatch the faun. Not only was he a great cook, he was also very funny when he was drunk and had a good sense of humour. Marco also turned out less serious than Shanks had imagined, though he didn't seem to get drunk easily.

Shanks was finally amongst friends.

The next morning he woke up hungover, but it had been totally worth it. He had to hand it to them, Whitebeard's children knew how to party.

Marco was already up, packing a bag with food and clothes. He had a waterskin slung over his shoulder. "Morning," he greeted when he noticed Shanks was awake.

"Morning." Shanks rose from the ground where he had been sprawled out. He must have been very comfortable last night.

"I have packed things for you as well." Marco gestured to saddlebags that were standing at his feet.

"I'm not a beast of burden," Shanks snapped. He hated it when people treated him like a common horse.

Marco shrugged. "I figured it would be the easiest way to carry things, that way, you can still carry your quiver and bow."

Shanks huffed. He wasn't used to travelling long distances; usually, he only left the herd to hunt. Marco's idea sounded sensible, but still, saddlebags?

Marco placed them on his back and while they were not uncomfortable, Shanks still felt like a pack animal.

"Marco, are you really leaving?" A few of the younger children, amongst them a centaur, had approached them.

Marco knelt down so he was at eye level. "I am, but I'll be back before you know it. I am going to help Shanks find his friend, his family."

While Marco talked to the children, Shanks watched from a distance. The kids seemed to hold Marco in high regard. When Marco was finished, the children turned to Shanks.

"Marco will help you find him," the small centaur said.

A smile formed on Shanks's face.

"Alright." Marco rose and ruffled the centaur's head. "Watch the ford while I'm away, okay?"

The kids saluted and waved as they left, like the other siblings. As they made their way towards the river, Thatch came running after them.

"Wait!"

Marco and Shanks stopped and turned around.

Panting, Thatch stopped in front of them. "Here, you'll need it." He handed them a bag with more food, better than the bread and dried meat Marco had packed for them. "You could have waited until I woke up," he said reprimanding to Marco.

Marco shrugged. "With the amount you drank, that could have taken a while."

"At least you woke everyone up early, the way you were snoring," a voice suddenly sounded.

Thatch turned to Izo, who had surfaced in the river next to them. "Like _you're_ so quiet when you sleep."

"I don't _snore_ ," Izo bit back.

"No one can check, because you insist on sleeping underwater!"

As they were bickering, Marco took the bag from Thatch, who hardly seemed to notice, and he motioned with his head in the direction they should take.

Shanks nodded, smiling. It was nice to see how comfortable everyone was with each other.

Marco led the way and, soon, they fell into a comfortable silence. Shanks had to slow his pace a bit so that Marco could keep up; it wasn't like he was slow, but with twice as many legs, Shanks was faster.

After a while, Marco asked, "Can't I ride on your back? I'm only holding you up."

"I'm not a damn horse," Shanks snapped. "You have perfectly fine legs, use them."

"Only two of them," Marco countered. "You have four. That's actually interesting," he added thoughtfully. "You have four horse legs, _and_ two human arms. That makes six. The only other creatures with six legs are insects…"

"First you call me a horse and now you compare me to a bug? If this is your way of buttering me up, you have a long way to go," Shanks replied dryly.

Marco shrugged. "I'm just stating facts. It just fascinates me. Like, from which nipples suckle young centaurs, the horse ones or the human ones?"

"Do I look like a woman to you? How should I know?" Shanks huffed.

"You had a mom, right? Also, do you have two stomachs as well? And other organs?"

"How about you cut me open and find out yourself?!"

Marco held up his hands in surrender. "I'm just curious."

"Yeah, yeah," Shanks muttered. He looked at the sky. "Looks like it's about to rain. If I let you ride on my back, will you keep my head dry? I only have one of those," he added dryly.

Marco chuckled. "Sure." He waited until Shanks had come to a stop before jumping on his back with an agile leap.

When he had made himself comfortable, Shanks started walking. A few minutes later, it started to rain, and Marco held up to his end of the bargain by using his cape to cover them both.

After a while, Marco was the one to break the silence again, suddenly sounding serious. "The person you're looking for, you're lovers, aren't you?

"Hadn't you already decided that?" Shanks replied.

Marco shrugged. "The way you talked about him, I just assumed. But correct me if I'm wrong."

Shanks sighed. "You're not."

"Tell me more about him."

Shanks smiled and started to tell about how they met, when they were young. Benn's family had disapproved of their friendship because Benn was from an elite breed while Shanks was not, but allowed them to play together. When they got older, Benn's family had tried to force him to cut ties with Shanks to do his duty within the family, but that had only caused Benn to cut ties with _them_ and leave with Shanks.

"So you eloped together?" Marco asked with a smile.

Shanks flushed slightly and huffed to hide his embarrassment. "Yeah, yeah, it's a cliché story, I know. I can't help it."

"It's sweet."

Shanks coughed, his cheeks bright red. "Tell me about how you ended up being raised by a giant," he changed the subject.

Marco hummed and moved to sit more comfortably. The rain had stopped, but Shanks didn't ask him to dismount. It wasn't like Marco was heavy, anyway, and Shanks could walk faster now he didn't have to take Marco's few legs in account.

"I was abandoned as a baby. Left to die on a rock. Pops found me and decided to raise me, despite the difference in race. His dream was to have a big family. Over time, he adopted more orphans and abandoned children, mostly half elves, because there are so many of them who are repudiated." Marco sighed. "It's horrible what they have to go through. With us, they have a family who loves them."

Shanks smiled. His family had a similar concept, though all of them happened to be centaurs.

They spent the time telling anecdotes about their families until it became dark. Marco hopped off Shanks' back and started to make a fire.

They ate in relative silence. After dinner, Marco said, "I'll take the first watch. You go to sleep."

"Alright," Shanks said and stood up. "Wake me up when you're tired then."

"You're gonna sleep standing up?" Marco inquired, an amused smile on his face.

Shanks shrugged. "It keeps me more alert."

"Sleeping like a horse," Marco said teasing.

Shanks huffed and, demonstratively, he laid back down. "Night."

* * *

Shanks woke up only to see that it was already light. He immediately assumed Marco had fallen asleep, but one look proved that Marco was awake and alert as he had been when Shanks went to sleep.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Shanks asked confusedly.

Marco shrugged. "I wasn't tired."

He was obviously lying, proven by his droopy eyes, so Shanks raised his eyebrow sceptically.

"Really, I don't need much sleep," Marco assured him. "Do you want breakfast?" He held out one of the packages Thatch had given them.

Shanks took it and started eating, realising Marco wasn't going to admit that he was tired. When they had both finished eating and made ready to start their journey again, Shanks crouched down so that Marco could climb on his back again.

Marco seemed surprised, but mounted without a comment.

Shanks started walking in the same direction they were headed in the day before. The advantages of having an elf with him was that Marco could enter human bars and inns without raising too much suspicion and ask for information. With Shanks, humans were usually reluctant to answer him.

Marco had found out that Benn had passed through the villages they passed, so at least they were on the right track.

As Shanks walked on, he could feel Marco slumping, and eventually, he fell against Shanks' human back, fast asleep. Shanks smiled a little triumphantly that he had been right, and used his arms to hold Marco steady until it was time for lunch. He was glad Marco had let his guard down.

* * *

Weeks passed without finding Benn. Marco never complained, but Shanks knew this wasn't what he signed up for. He probably had expected to find Benn in a couple of days, and, boy, had Shanks hoped that. He had hoped Benn would be on his way home and they would run into him.

No such luck, however. They arrived at the place Benn's family should live, but there was no beautiful black centaur to be seen.

An unusually helpful orc claimed they had moved, but Shanks had a hard time believing that. Benn's family had lived there for generations, after all, they wouldn't give up their land that easily.

Right?

However, no one in the area could tell them where they really were, so the orc's story started to become more likely. Still, that was no reason for Shanks to give up, and Marco never questioned his resolve.

They spend their days asking around if anyone had seen a black haired centaur. Some creatures remembered Benn's family, but didn't know what happened to them. Others just shrugged.

Shanks became more desperate by the day. Marco tried to distract him by keeping the conversation going, on any topic but Benn, but after spending so much time non-stop together, it was difficult to find a subject to talk about.

Meeting Atmos near a dwarf village was therefore a welcome distraction. Marco immediately took the opportunity to lure Shanks into a drinking contest – which, to be honest, didn't take too much effort. Shanks hadn't drunk much in the past weeks, which was a depressing thought in itself.

Thatch turned out to be selling food to the dwarves, that was the reason he was there by himself. The family was self-supporting for the most part, but dwarves made wonderful weaponry.

Atmos made sure they had enough booze, because while Marco was the messenger in human and elven villages, dwarves were very distrusting when it came to elves. They rather had someone of their own kind, despite Marco being in the company of a dwarf, though they were okay with Shanks.

Marco had been right, Shanks did feel better after a couple of beers. He shouldn't doubt Benn! Benn would have his reasons to disappear, and they would be good.

Atmos told them news about the family, but nothing spectacular had happened, so he turned to funny anecdotes.

The more the booze flowed, the looser their tongues became. At some point, it seemed like a good idea to challenge each other.

Shanks was asked to let a dwarf in full armour ride on his back around the village. A dwarf alone was significantly heavier than an elf, let alone his armour. The dwarves had a great sense of humour, and it wasn't hard to find a volunteer.

Shanks feared he would sag when the dwarf climbed on his back. He didn't, fortunately, but finding the way around the village took more effort than it should have. The dwarf wasn't much help.

Finally, Shanks had made it and was rewarded with another pint. "Now it's your turn," he said to Marco after he had drunk half the mug. "You should," he thought for a moment before a lecherous grin appeared on his face, "kiss that red nosed dwarf!" He pointed at a blue haired dwarf who was drinking by himself.

"You've got to be kidding me," Marco said. He was still the most sober of all, but even drunk, the dwarves weren't too fond of him.

"I'm completely serious," Shanks said, but one look at Atmos and they both started to laugh.

Marco sighed and finished his beer, gesturing to the barkeep for another. "Fine, but if my skull is cleaved in half, I'll be sure to haunt you."

Shanks snorted with laughter as he and Atmos watched on how Marco approached the dwarf.

Marco tapped on his shoulder. "Excuse me?"

As soon as the dwarf turned around, Marco planted a kiss on his lips. The dwarf froze for a second, but then turned furious and, within a second, an axe was nearing Marco's head.

Marco was prepared, however, and parried the blade with his sword. He hastened himself back to Atmos and Shanks, an angry dwarf hot on his trail.

Before the dwarf reached them, however, Shanks interfered, stepping between him and Marco. "Don't be too angry with him," he said soothingly. "We made a dare and I told him to kiss the dwarf with the red nose–"

"Who has a big red nose?" the dwarf all but shrieked.

"Most of you, really, it's the booze," Shanks said dryly.

The dwarf squinted at him suspiciously, but Shanks put up his most charming smile. It seemed to work, as the dwarf slunk off, muttering something about "those damn elves".

* * *

The next morning, they said goodbye to Atmos, telling him to give their regards to the family.

Shanks felt like crap, but Marco was cheerful as ever. Damn bastard didn't even have the courtesy to get hungover.

He caught Marco smiling fondly at him, though. "What?" he snapped.

"Nothing." But Marco kept smiling.

Shanks huffed and slapped Marco in the face with his tail, earning an indignant, "Oi!"

* * *

Shanks was just aiming his bow to shoot a deer when Marco called out. The food Thatch had given them and that which Marco had packed was long gone, but Shanks was an excellent hunter.

The deer was startled by Marco's cry and ran off into the forest. Shanks cursed.

"Oi, you just cost us dinner for a couple of days, you know that," he said indignantly when he returned to where Marco was.

But Marco waved him away impatiently. "Didn't you tell me Benn smoked?"

"Yeah, why?" Shanks moved closer, curious about what Marco was looking at.

Marco was crouched down on the ground, his back turned to Shanks. He rubbed something between his fingers and smelled it. "I think he was here."

"What?!" After weeks of having no clue about Benn's whereabouts, the words sounded almost surreal. "Are you sure?"

Marco rose and pointed to the ground. "Smell this." He held out a small stick that was burnt at the edge. Obviously a smoked cigar. "Smells familiar?"

Shanks took a whiff and his eyes widened. "It's Benn's," he whispered. "I'd recognise the scent anywhere." He inhaled deeply, a familiar feeling washing over him.

Marco nodded, satisfied. "Then I was right. It's been here for a while, though. The stub has been wet and dried again, perhaps several times. But he was here, at some point. Unfortunately, any hoofs' prints that might have been here have washed away." He frowned. "I do think he spent the night here." He pointed at a scorch mark on the ground. "Since someone made a fire."

Shanks nodded, clutching the stub in his hand. It was the first tangible piece of evidence they had found. Of course, it didn't tell them much, only that Benn had been there at some point and smoked a cigar, so he had probably been comfortable enough to take his time.

* * *

After finding the cigar butt, they didn't find any other clue for months. Six months had passed since Marco had joined his search, and a cigar stub was all they had to show for it.

Still, the small piece that was garbage to anyone else was what gave Shanks hope. He couldn't bear throwing it away, and had carefully folded a piece of cloth around it and stored it in his bag.

One day, he was out hunting for lunch, as Marco had taken care of breakfast. He grabbed an arrow from his quiver, searching for prey. Unfortunately, the arrow slipped from his fingers. Cursing softly, he leaned down to pick it up.

Suddenly, someone jumped on his back, yelling, "Giddy up!"

Who the hell had the nerve to treat him like a common horse?!

Well, aside from Marco.

Instead of starting to gallop, like the jackass undoubtedly intended, Shanks reared up, throwing his waylayer off his back. Shanks heard a pained groan and he smiled in satisfaction as he turned around to crush the bastard's skull underneath his hoof.

He hesitated when he saw the guy lying on the ground, though. He was humanoid and seemed fairly young, with freckled cheeks. His black hair was covered for the most part by a woollen hat.

"What the hell?" the boy muttered.

"I should say that!" Shanks snapped back. Seriously, how dare he?!

The boy looked at him for a moment, before the truth seemed to sink in and he scuffled backwards.

Shanks smiled, pleased. The boy seemed to have realised what he had just done and was cowering in the face of Shanks' wrath. Good. No one messed with a centaur.

Again, aside from Marco.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm on the run and I need to get out of here quickly…" the boy stammered.

"So you thought you'd use me as a mount?!" Shanks snapped, folding his arms across his bare chest. He was actually amused by the fear in the boy's eyes, but there was no need to tell him that.

The way the boy kept pulling his hat down, though, made Shanks consider something. Either the boy was balding early, or… he tried to pass as a human when he was actually something else. And the most likely creature would be a half elf.

The boy looked over his shoulder as shouts could be heard louder. "Please give me a ride! I can pay you, or… find you a nymph or something?"

Shanks rolled his eyes. The boy seemed to be serious. That was one persistent stereotype. "We'll never get rid of that reputation, will we? I don't even like nymphs, thank you very much." He sighed. "Fine, I'll give you a lift, but you owe me a favour. I don't know when I'll cash it in, but I will."

He wasn't sure exactly why he let the boy climb on his back. Probably because he felt bad for him. Half elves were despised by humans and elves, after all, which usually led them to a life of crime, in turn making them less than popular with other species as well.

Shanks turned in the direction Marco would be waiting for him and started galloping. The boy clung to him, but was laughing loudly and encouraged him to go faster. Shanks wasn't one to disappoint.

The boy told him that they had lost his pursuers and that he could stop now, but Shanks was having none of that. He wanted to show Marco his new friend.

When he stopped at the place he had left Marco, the boy jumped off his back and tried to make a run for it, but Shanks was hardly going to allow that that and grabbed him by the collar.

"I thought you were hunting?" Marco asked. He appeared from behind some bushes.

The boy was frozen in fear, staring at Marco with his mouth hanging open. Marco's eyes flicked up and down, obviously checking him out.

Shanks looked from one to the other and smirked. This could get interesting.

The boy introduced himself as Ace. He still didn't seem entirely comfortable, but he did take Marco's offer to join them for lunch, albeit reluctantly and only because his stomach demanded food. They had still some bread left, though Marco felt the need to rub in the fact that Shanks hadn't obtained any meat.

However, while he was still eating, Ace suddenly collapsed.

Shanks leaned over him. "What the hell just happened?"

"I think he fell asleep," Marco said. He was probably right, as Ace had started to snore, a piece of bread still in his mouth.

"Huh," Shanks commented. "That was… unexpected."

Marco kept silent for a moment, looking at the still sleeping Ace. "Oi, Shanks," he then said, "didn't you say he owed you a favour?"

"Well, I did save his guts from his pursuers by taking him on my back. No one is allowed to ride me like a horse," Shanks huffed. "So it's only fair."

Marco smirked at his comment as he had been on Shanks' back for numerous times, but fortunately, he decided not to comment on that. Instead, he said, "Why don't you ask him to come with us?"

"Why?" Shanks replied.

"Three see more than two?" Marco tried, though it was utter bull crap. Marco had a whole different agenda, and Shanks knew it.

So he decided to have a little fun with his friend by feigning ignorance. "Well, elves are trackers, and he's only half that. You know he's a half elf, right?"

Marco sighed. "The way he desperately clings to his hat? Well, yeah."

Shanks reached out to take the hat off Ace's head, but Marco stopped him.

"He should show us himself if he wants to."

Shanks huffed, but then turned back to the main subject. "Anyway, you want him to stay because you think he's cute, right?"

"I never said that," Marco protested, a flush tinting his cheeks. "I just feel bad for him."

"Bad you're not in his pants, you mean," Shanks teased.

"Be quiet! You don't know when he'll wake up," Marco hissed. "Besides, you couldn't be more wrong."

Shanks rolled his eyes. Obviously, Marco was still in denial.

"Will you just do this? Please?"

Shanks sighed. "Fine. But since he owed me, now you owe me."

Marco raised an eyebrow. "Owe you? Did you forget how I am accompanying you for the past half year?"

Oh great, now he was using guilt. "Fine, you can have your hot half elf," Shanks huffed.

Marco smiled like he didn't just blackmail Shanks. "Thank you."

Shanks muttered under his breath, but to be honest, he didn't mind at all. Ace seemed like an okay guy, and it would probably do him good to have some company.

When he woke up, Ace agreed to come with them, though, only because he had agreed that he owed Shanks a favour.

* * *

Over the next few days, Ace started to become more comfortable around them – though, not enough to show them his real self, and he kept his hat firmly on his head to hide his slightly pointy ears proving he was a half elf. However, the moment he realised he was relaxed around them, Ace tensed up immediately again, much to Shanks' and Marco's frustration.

He also insisted on taking baths by himself, which was fine with Shanks, though Marco seemed disappointed for obvious reasons. He still insisted that he wasn't into Ace, for some reason, even though it was clear from his looks that he was pining.

Ace wasn't much better off, sending Marco longing glances when he thought no one was looking.

It was frustrating for all parties, really.

Especially when Ace started to avoid being alone with Marco. Shanks wasn't sure what had brought that on, and Marco didn't want to tell him either, just shrugging in reply when he asked.

When Shanks retreated to pee and Ace followed, however, Shanks had had enough. "Do you mind? I like my privacy."

"I'm sorry, but I need to talk to you," Ace replied, surprisingly firmly.

"We all _need_ to do stuff," Shanks muttered under his breath. He, for one, needed to pee. Still, it was time to get to the bottom of this, because the sexual tension between those two had gone on long enough. "Fine, what's up?"

"Just…" Ace hesitated for a moment, but when Shanks huffed annoyed and stomped his hoof, he hastily continued, "When do you think we'll find this friend of yours?"

That wasn't what he had expected. He had thought Ace wanted to talk about Marco. Great, he would have to fix that himself then. So he just shrugged. "Who knows? Hopefully soon. Now, was that all?"

"Marco told me how long you've been looking," Ace blurted out.

Shanks really didn't want to talk about this right now, and not just because he needed to pee. "Finding someone takes time," he tried to brush him off. "What can I say? Now, why is this important? Do you have someplace to be? Or are you just tired of us?" He tried to be jovially as he subtly changed the subject and poked Ace between the ribs with his elbow.

"Of course not, just… You know, after all this time you'd think you'd have found at least a hint where your friend should hold up, don't you think?" Ace said carefully.

Shanks narrowed his eyes, his arms folded before his chest. He had the stub they had found nowseemingly so long ago clenched in his hand. "What are you aiming at?"

Ace took a deep breath and then looked up, directly into Shanks' eyes. "Have you ever considered he may not _want_ to be found?"

Shanks grit his teeth. Who the hell did this brat think he was, talking about Benn like that?!

"I'm just saying," Ace continued, "you claim he's your friend, but how do I know you're not just a stalker or hired assassin or something? If you two were as close as you imply, why hasn't he come back to you on his own?"

Shanks snapped. He lifted up his front hoofs and pinned Ace against a tree. "Don't you dare speak about him like that!" he hissed.

Ace looked up at him with wide, scared eyes, and Shanks' face softened. Ace didn't know Benn like he did, he didn't even know him at all. He only went by Shanks's word that Benn existed, just like Marco did. And Ace didn't even know about the stub.

Before he could move off Ace and apologise of losing his temper, however, Marco interfered by pulling him away. "Go cool off," he said to Shanks.

Shanks was about to retort he had already cooled off, but those two needed to talk and this seemed like a good a moment as any.

Besides, Shanks still needed to pee.

After he had relieved himself, he turned back to the place where he had left Marco and Ace and peeked through the bushes to see what was happening.

Marco was holding Ace's hat, Ace's pointy ears clearly visible now as he clung to Marco.

Shanks couldn't hear what they were saying, but really, it was about time Marco made a move. Hopefully, they would knock it off and finally get together.

Still, seeing them so happy together stirred up a feeling of jealousy. Shanks missed Benn.

Ace had made a good point, though. Not about Shanks being a stalker or Benn not being found, but the fact that he still hadn't found a clue as to where Benn might be since the stub almost three months ago. And that did raise a question: was Benn still alive?

Sighing, he shook his head. He couldn't lose hope, not now. Not without proof.

He shook his head as if to clear it of bad thoughts and forced a smile on his face as he approached the still embracing Marco and Ace.

"Ah, love's in the air," he sighed overly dramatically.

Marco and Ace let go of each other and jumped back like two cats who had a bucket of water thrown over them. Shanks smirked amusedly.

Ace scratched the back of his head, when he realised Marco was still holding his hat. He looked from Marco to Shanks, panicked.

"Please, I knew before he did." Shanks jerked a thumb in the direction of Marco. "But I'm glad it's all out in the open now, because it was getting annoying to tiptoe around you."

Ace flushed slightly. "Why the hell didn't you tell me you knew?"

" _He_ didn't allow me," Shanks huffed.

Marco shrugged. "I wanted you to trust us enough to tell us yourself."

Ace looked at the ground.

"Well," Shanks said, "at least that's over with. Pee break is over, so let's continue our journey." He made ready to leave.

"Wait!" Ace called him back. When Shanks turned around, he fumbled with his cape nervously. "I-I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean it. I just wanted you to get mad at me, I guess…"

Shanks waved his apologies away. "I know, I know. Just don't ever badmouth Benn again, you hear?" he added threateningly. When Ace nodded fervently, he smiled. "Good."

When Shanks looked over his shoulder to see if Ace and Marco were following him, he saw they walked a few feet apart, and they didn't even hold hands. He sighed. It seemed like nothing had changed.

To be fair, Ace needed a while for it to sink in that a) Shanks and Marco knew his race and b) that they were okay with it. Marco tried to ease him in by telling about his family and how many of them were half elves.

Ace's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Indeed," Shank said. "You could have brought that up earlier, you know," he reprimanded Marco. "Would have saved us all some frustration." He turned back to Ace. "They're nice too, I've met them. Know how to throw a party."

Ace smiled. "I'd love to meet them someday."

* * *

Over the next few days, Ace started to come to terms with them knowing and he only wore his hat when they came to villages or other places were other people were. He and Marco grew closer as well, though they still hadn't kissed and they obviously both wanted to.

Finally, Shanks decided that enough was enough, and when they least expected it, Shanks smashed their faces together so they would finally fucking kiss.

In hindsight, that could have gone horribly wrong, with chipped teeth and everything, but it didn't. They kissed, and _finally_ some of the sexual tension was resolved.

However, there was one thing Shanks hadn't taken into account. Now that Marco and Ace finally had gotten together, they weren't just three friends anymore travelling together, they were a couple and Shanks. He hated being the third wheel.

It wasn't all bad, though. Marco and Ace were still his friends and it wasn't like they ditched him or something – though, suddenly, Ace didn't have a problem anymore with taking a bath with Marco.

"Took you long enough," Shanks remarked dryly when they returned from the river. "You must have gotten really dirty."

Ace immediately flushed and started to mutter excuses, but Marco shot him a warning glance.

"Shanks…"

Shanks shrugged. "As third wheel it's my right, nay, my privilege to tease you."

Ace's face fell. "We didn't mean to make you feel like that."

"Of course you didn't, you'd be an ass. But it happens. It was never the plan you fell in love," Ace turned bright red again, "but it happened. So we'll just haveto work with it and–"

"Be quiet," Marco suddenly said.

"Oi, I'm holding a dramatic speech about how I accept your love despite the fact that it's an inconvenience to me," Shanks said indignantly. "Don't interrupt me."

But Marco help up his hand, listening intensely. Ace seemed to pick up on something as well. Damn those elves and their super sharp hearing. Shanks had no idea what was going on.

Marco drew his sword, while Ace picked up his bow and aimed at some bushes.

"What?" Shanks hissed. "Someone explain what's going on."

"Come out," Marco commanded in the direction of the bushes. "We know you're there."

Still confused, Shanks turned to the bushes as well, which started to rustle as someone appeared. It was a centaur, a female one with black hair. Shanks' eyes widened.

She held up her hands in a surrendering gesture.

"Who are you and why ae you spying on us?" Marco demanded.

Ace kept his arrow aimed at her, his mouth pulled taut.

Shanks let his eyes wander over her body. Her black hair, did that mean…? Yes, her fur was black as well, the beautiful non-fading kind of black that was so familiar to him.

"You're family of Benn," he stammered. "Who are you?"

Her piercing blue eyes turned to him. "So you do know my uncle," she said. "My name is Robin. I heard of a centaur asking questions about him, so I needed to find out what your intentions are."

"My name is Shanks," he said.

She smiled. "Then I was right. I hoped it was my uncle's lover who was looking for him."

"Oi, oi." Shanks was slightly flushed and placed his hands over Ace's ears as if he couldn't hear it then. "Don't be so blunt about it."

Marco put his sword away again. "Can you tell us where he is?"

Robin sighed. "I wish I could help you, but unfortunately, we got split up."

"So you _have_ seen him?" Shanks asked hopefully. "I've been looking for him for months!"

Her eyes turned sad. "It's a long story, but I'll gladly tell it to the man my uncle cares so much about."

Shanks cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Well, these are my companions, Marco and Ace. They've been with me for a long time now."

She nodded and made herself comfortable on the ground as the others followed her example.

"Seven months ago," she started, "the funeral of the former head of the family was held, which was the reason for the whole family to gather, including uncle Benn."

Shanks stared at the ground.

"I hadn't seen him in years, not since he left the family for you." Her blue eyes were aimed at Shanks. "There was a bit of an argument over who should become the next head of the family. Some were in favour of Benn, despite his 'desertion'. He, however, refused."

"I knew it!" Shanks exclaimed. "He wouldn't have accepted that position!"

"Even if he had, he wouldn't have enjoyed it for long," Robin said. "Eventually, the choice fell upon a young boy by the name of Luffy."

"Luffy?" Shanks exclaimed. "I saved him from drowning in a river once. Is he okay?"

"I can't say how he is now, unfortunately," Robin said with a frown. "I hope he hadn't been torn apart."

"Wait, why would they pick a young boy as head of the family?" Ace interrupted.

"He is the former head's grandson. His father would have been next in line, had he not left the family like Benn did. And he hadn't come back for the funeral," Robin explained. "However, it was at that point, a week after the funeral and the long, tiring debate, that orcs suddenly attacked."

"Orcs?" Marco looked at Shanks, obviously thinking the same.

"That bastard," Shanks hissed.

"What is it?" Ace asked.

Marco looked at Shanks, but he was too angry to answer, so Marco did it in his stead.

"Almost six months ago, we arrived at the place where Shanks thought the funeral would be held. An orc told us that the family had moved away."

"Chased away is more like it," Robin said. "There were too many for us to handle, so we dispersed."

"Why did they attack you?" Shanks asked, still seething.

Robin sighed. "Land. There is some kind of magical stone to be found on our land and they want to get their hands on it. We had no interest in the stone or trading with orcs, and we wouldn't leave out land either. So they tried to take it by force. Their aim was to kill the whole family at once, which is why they waited for the gathering. I suspect they may have poisoned Garp, our former chief to make sure the family would get together. Though, that's a surprisingly cunning and subtle plan for orcs."

"Where is Benn now? Did you defeat them?" Shanks asked impatiently. He feared the worst, however. Benn would have returned if they had won the battle.

"There were too many of them. We fought, but we couldn't win, so we retreated. Benn took Luffy under his wing so they couldn't get their hands on him. The orcs need to kill us all to be able to claim the land, but as head, Luffy is their greatest enemy." Robin stared into the distance. "I accompanied them for several months, but the orcs were on our track, so we decided to split up in the hope of outsmarting them."

"Orcs aren't exactly known for their intelligence," Marco remarked.

But Robin shook her head. "They're not, but their leader is surprisingly smart. He goes by the name of Blackbeard. From what I gathered, he was a wizard's assistant, who taught him magic and such. In the end, he killed his master and raised an army of orcs and goblins."

"When did you see Benn last?" Shanks asked.

"I've been travelling by myself for three weeks now. Benn and Luffy went in the opposite direction. I sure hope they haven't been tortured to death by now."

Shanks stared at her. Benn had remarked once he had a niece with a rather disturbing sense of humour. This should be her.

"We will help you fight those orcs," Ace said suddenly confidently.

She turned to him. "Really?"

"Of course! We promised to help find Benn, and if fighting an army of orcs is necessary…" He turned to Marco. "Won't we?"

Marco smiled. "I didn't come all this way to slink away with my tail between my legs."

"First things first, though," Shanks said. "We need to find Benn and make sure he and Luffy are both safe. Then I'll kill the person who did this to me, him, and you guys." He crossed his arms before his chest determinedly.

The territory of Benn's family was vast, and at the moment, they were within travel distance. Robin showed them the way, retracing her own journey back to the place where she had taken leave of Benn and Luffy.

Robin took a more direct route than she had taken herself to arrive more quickly at the place where she and Benn parted, but it still took them two weeks.

Of course, she couldn't be sure of where they went, but that was what they had Marco for. Ace also showed some skill when it came to tracking, though it would have been great if they had a dog or something with them.

They had a few encounters with orcs and goblins, but only small patrol groups, so nothing they couldn't handle. Shanks had to admit he took a little too much pleasure in taking them out, and more than once, Marco had to drag him away.

It was five weeks now since Robin joined their little group. She and Marco hit it off amazingly, as friends, but it was still enough to make Ace jealous, and, more than once, Shanks caught him glaring daggers at Robin.

Marco of course tried to comfort Ace, but he was easily seduced to go into an in-depth discussion with Robin about astronomy or some other shit Shanks knew nothing about. It didn't help that Shanks and Robin had somehow become their mounts – Marco hadn't ridden on Shanks' back since Ace had joined – and Marco was usually seated on Robin's back to keep the conversation going.

Which left Shanks with a pouting Ace. It did give them time to bond, however, and Shanks tried to cheer Ace up with funny stories about his family or Marco – who also was family by now.

One night, they were sitting around the campfire, roasting meat from a boar that Robin had shot – not only was she an amazing shot, she fired arrows so fast it appeared she had more than two hands – when they suddenly heard a boy's voice exclaim, "I smell meat!"

That was the only warning they got before something shot past them, ripped the only barely done meat of the spit and started to eat with relish.

Shanks smelled a familiar scent, one that didn't come off the meat, before he heard the voice.

"Dammit, Luffy, I told you, orcs could be nearby and–" The deep voice stopped abruptly when the centaur with a beautiful black coat of fur arrived at the clearing.

Slowly, Shanks rose, still not quite believing who was standing in front of him, alive and well.

"Shanks," Benn stammered, "what are you doing here?" It took a lot to catch Benn off guard.

"What am I doing here?" Shanks suddenly became unreasonably mad. "Looking for you, how about that? One month you said! It's eight months later now!"

"Didn't you get my messages?" Benn asked.

Shanks opened and closed his mouth a few times, but couldn't form intelligent words. "No," he managed eventually.

"Perhaps the messengers were caught and roasted on a spit like this poor boar," Robin suggested innocently.

"You're here too," Benn said, as if he only just noticed her.

She smiled at him. "Your significant other insisted I showed him the way."

Shanks still stood lost for words. This wasn't the reunion he had been expecting, but then again, he hadn't expected Benn just to waltz into their camp.

He barely noticed Ace whispering something in Marco's ear and Marco smiling. The two of them came standing next to the two centaurs, who were still standing across from each other. Suddenly, Marco wrapped his arms around Ace's hips and lifted him up. In turn, Ace placed one hand on the back of Shanks' head and the other on Benn's and pushed their faces together in an annoyingly familiar matter.

However, Shanks was too busy to be angry with them. To have finally, _finally_ , Benn's lips pressed against his again, he could forgive Ace his slightly rattled teeth. Especially when Benn's arms sneaked around his waist.

Benn kissed his temple, pulling him close and nuzzling his hair. "I missed you too."

Shanks hummed, enjoying the familiar scent of Benn and cigar smoke.

Suddenly, however, he became aware of several pairs of eyes looking at them, including the one from Benn's companion.

Luffy was still eating, having picked a larger chunk from the spit and was looking at them with large, owlish eyes.

Shanks' face softened. "Hi Luffy, do you remember me?"

Luffy blinked a few times, cocking his head to the side, all the while never stopping with eating. Then, finally, the penny seemed to drop, as his eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Shanks!"

Shanks smiled.

"That's right, you already know him," Benn said. "He is the new head of our family. I've sworn to protect him for as long as we're under attack." He then turned to Marco and Ace. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Benn."

"Oh, we know who you are," Ace said with a grin, and Shanks winced. He got drunk one time and may have told Ace one story too many.

"I'm Ace," Ace said, "and this is Marco. We're Shanks' friends." He almost sounded proud.

Benn smiled. "Nice to meet you both. That's Luffy." He pointed at the young centaur, who had managed to get his hands on even more meat.

Benn then turned to Shanks. "There are still things I need to take care of here. I'm sorry I made you wait so long, but I can't just leave. Not yet, anyway. You can go back and wait for me back home…"

"You've got to be kidding me," Shanks huffed. "I didn't come this far just to turn around. I know it's your family business, Benn, but you're _my_ business. I'mgonna beat the crap out of this Blackbeard – Robin brought me up to speed. And those two are gonna help me." He gestured towards Marco and Ace.

Benn smiled and shook his head. "There was never stopping you once you set your mind on something. I was already preparing a plan of attack. _He_ should have gotten my message by now."

"Who?" Shanks asked.

"I sent a message to Dragon. It's still his family, and therefore _his_ problem. Especially now his son is involved as well."

"That is, if the messenger wasn't intercepted as well," Robin remarked.

Benn sighed. "Let's hope not."

They decided to spent the night there to talk about Benn's plan of attack. Shanks and Benn caught up a little with each other adventures, but other activities would have to wait until they were back home again.

Ace was appointed as Luffy's official babysitter. For one, because they seemed to hit it off right away, and Ace could use another friend. Aside from that part, Benn knew the lands and the current situation best, so it would be better if he stayed close. On top of that, it was Benn's and Robin's family that was in danger. Marco was the best tracker, so he could be on the lookout for orcs and Dragon.

Ace didn't seem to mind too much, as he realised he had an important task. He immediately flushed when Luffy asked if he was his big brother now and nodded.

They left Ace and Luffy the next morning, but not before Marco had said goodbye passionately. Shanks couldn't blame him; after all, they didn't know how this fight was going to end, and when, if at all, they would see each other again.

Marco gave Ace one final kiss before he followed the centaurs.

While Shanks knew they were on a dangerous mission, he refused to let go of Benn's hand. After so many months of not knowing if he would see Benn again, the whole situation felt surreal. Touching Benn was the only way of staying sane.

Marco suddenly knelt down. "Someone passed by here recently. The trail is not from orcs or goblins. I think they're… human."

"Human?" Robin asked. "What would a human be doing here? There is no human in your party, is there?"

"Are you certain they can't be yours or Ace's?" Benn inquired.

Marco shook his head. "They're too deep for that. Humans are heavier than elves or half elves. Besides, we didn't pass by here before."

"Robin's right, though." Shanks crossed his arms before his chest. "Humans know better than to go into centaur territory."

"Perhaps this one was lost?" Benn suggested. "Either way, it's dangerous for them here. Perhaps we should find this person."

"Well, aren't you the biggest softy," Shanks said teasingly. This was nothing new, of course. Benn may look rugged and dangerous, but he had a soft spot for children and creatures in danger.

"The trail goes into this direction." Marco disappeared into the bushes. "There's a centaur track here too!" he called.

"Perhaps more family," Shanks said to Benn. "Were they simultaneous?" he asked Marco.

Marco poked his head out of the bushes. "I can't say. They're both fresh though, and it doesn't seem like either one was chasing the other. They were both walking."

Shanks looked at Benn, who shrugged.

"I wouldn't know anyone in my family who would like to hang out with humans," he said.

"This is an intriguing mystery," Robin said with a smile. "I can't wait to get to the bottom of it."

Marco waited for them to join him, before he started following the track. It led them through the woods, and, according to Benn and Robin, to the heart of the territory.

Suddenly, they heard voices, echoing slightly as if they were in a cave. Once they pushed past the shrubs, they indeed saw a rock formation with a cave inside of it.

Marco gestured for them to wait, as centaurs weren't exactly known for their light step, and crept towards the cave. After having peered inside, he returned, making no sound.

"There is a human in the cave," he said when he got back to the centaurs. "And also a centaur. He has a black coat of fur, so perhaps it's your family." He looked at Robin and Benn.

"Maybe it's Dragon," Benn said, a hint of relief on his face. "I wouldn't put it past him to befriend a human. Come, Robin."

She nodded and followed Benn in the direction of the cave. Shanks didn't want to stay behind and trotted after them.

When they entered the cave, the human – a young male with part of his face covered by a birthmark – grabbed what appeared to be a pipe and started swinging at them.

"Sabo, don't," a deep voice suddenly came from a dark corner of the cave. A shadow moved and came into the light. Shanks could see a black haired centaur, his face half covered with a red tattoo.

Benn smiled. "It's good to see you again, Dragon."

"I can't say I had a good relationship with my father, but you said that orcs killed him. I can't let that slide," Dragon said.

"I can't prove it, unfortunately."

"It's more likely than that the man just keeled over. He was not that type of guy," Dragon said. "Meet Sabo. I found him during my travels and raised him."

"You raised another boy, but left your own flesh and blood?" Shanks huffed. Benn squeezed at his shoulder. He probably didn't want to get into a fight with his half-brother, not when they needed him, anyway, but Shanks couldn't keep silent. Luffy didn't seem traumatised by his father's disappearance, but still.

Dragon squinted at him. "Luffy was safe with the herd. Sabo was all alone, chased away because he looked slightly different."

Sabo looked at the floor, the pipe still dangling in his hand.

"Anyway," Dragon continued, looking at Benn, "We need to take care of this situation. We can't allow orcs of all things to walk all over us."

"We have a plan of attack. The most important thing is to take out the leader, an unusually smart orc by the name of Blackbeard," Benn explained. "Unfortunately, we are only with few."

Dragon's eyes shifted over the group. "Where is Luffy?" he asked. "You said you would keep him safe."

"Ace is with him," Shanks said, arms crossed before his chest. "A half elf with a temper. Luffy is safe with him. They're only a few miles from here."

Dragon nodded. "Still, I would feel better if Sabo went there too."

"But I can fight," Sabo protested.

"Please protect my son," Dragon said. "He is the future of our herd." He thought for a moment. "Perhaps it's best if you tell them Benn sent you. I'm not planning on sticking around when this is over."

Shanks huffed at Dragon's words, but then pointed Sabo in the right direction. After packing his things, Sabo left right away.

They discussed their plan with Dragon. They would split up, in order not to draw attention to themselves, and try to act stealthy until they spotted Blackbeard. Then take him out, whoever got the chance. They were all armed with bows, except for Marco, who had a sword.

When it was time to leave, Shanks kissed Benn on the lips. "It better not be another seven months before I see you again, you hear?!"

Benn smiled and kissed his hair. "I wouldn't dream of it. I'd like to see the others soon as well. And, you know, do some other things…"

"Oi, oi." Shanks felt his cheeks flush when he noticed Dragon and Robin watching with a knowing smile on their faces. "Let's just kick some orc ass, alright?"

They each took a different direction, but they would all head to the heart of the territory, the most likely place for Blackbeard to be. If they took him out, the not too bright orcs would be left without a leader and therefore disperse.

Shanks kept his bow ready as he crept through the forest. Every once in a while, he could hear orcs talking, and took them out quickly and silently. However, because of his limited amount of arrows, he had to risk leaving the bushes to take them out of the dead orcs. Up till now, it had gone well and he hadn't been caught, or at least the orcs who had seen him didn't have the time to warn anyone.

Suddenly, the sound of a breaking branch caught his attention, and he whipped around, arrow ready to penetrate someone's skull.

Benn raised his hand in a surrendering fashion, a smile on his lips.

Shanks lowered his bow, shaking his head with a grin. "I didn't just found you to kill you."

"I appreciate that." Benn approached him. "And I appreciate the fact that you came all this way for me."

"To be honest, I didn't expect it to take so long. But good things have come from it. I've met Marco, Ace – and got them together – and Robin. Plus, I got to see Luffy again."

"He really admires you, you know," Benn said with a smile on his face. "He keeps saying how much he wants to be like you. Be the head of a family."

Shanks closed his eyes and placed his forehead against Benn's, his fingers trailing the scar on his temple which he had gotten during a hunting accident years ago. They remained standing that way until more orcs voices sounded.

"Shall we split up again?" Benn asked in a low voice.

Shanks smirked. "Are you saying you came here coincidentally?"

Benn grinned right back at him and got his bow ready. "I'd prefer to fight by your side, if it's the same to you."

"It's not, and you know it." Shanks gestured with his head that Benn should follow him. "Come on."

Together, they took out another patrol of orcs. This time, however, there was backup underway for their opponents. Shanks shot one arrow after the next, but the orcs surrounded them.

Benn was out of arrows and reared up, kicking some orcs away, but there were too many. Shanks came to his rescue, edging his way through the orcs that swarmed around them. He reached out his hand and their fingertips brushed together before they were snowed under orcs.

They weren't killed, which seemed curious to Shanks. They tied Shanks and Benn up and brought them to their leader, the biggest – and in Shanks's humble opinion, ugliest – orc of all. He had greasy black hair and a beard, and was missing several teeth.

"Zehahaha," he laughed loudly. "Thanks for turning yourself in. That saves me the trouble of hunting you down. Though, it would have been better if you came sooner, but whatever. I'm in no hurry."

Shanks looked around. It didn't seem like the others were captured as well. Good.

"You have caused me a lot of trouble, you know. I always knew that a few of you had escaped, including the head of the family. And it was only a matter of time before he managed to get reinforcements." Blackbeard cast a look of disapproval on Shanks. "Though, I would have thought you'd at least get an army."

Shanks looked at Benn from the corner of his eyes. It would seem that Blackbeard assumed Benn was the head of the family. Well, in all fairness, not many people would have picked a teenager as their leader.

Benn remained silent.

Shanks saw a flash of light from the corner of his eye and a second later, an arrow pierced the eye of an orc standing close to Blackbeard.

This caused panic amongst the orcs, as none seemed to have seen where the arrow came from. Several other arrows followed, killing more orcs.

"Find out who's there!' Blackbeard yelled, clearly annoyed.

Shanks saw a flash of blue, and an orc standing next to him collapsed soundlessly. "It was about time," he muttered under his breath with a smirk when Marco cut the ropes that bound him.

Marco huffed. However, he had no time to retort, because the orc had finally noticed him. Arrows whizzed past Shanks' head, aimed perfectly at the orcs.

Shanks was unarmed, except for the dagger Marco pressed into his hand, but a kick in the head did the trick nicely.

Blackbeard was shouting orders, but the chaos grew even more when three figures yelled some kind of war cry before diving in.

Shanks smiled when he recognised Ace, Luffy and Sabo. Benn and Dragon would yell at them afterwards, but Shanks could understand how the boys could not sit still.

Sabo seemed to be very handy with his pipe, while Luffy kicked left and right as if his limbs weren't attached to his body. He waved at Shanks when he noticed him, a large grin on his face.

Shanks waved back, before casting the loaned dagger at Benn so he could free himself. Shanks had other business to take care of.

Blackbeard was waving his arms around like mad, ordering the orcs around, who were an incoherent mess at the moment.

Shanks approached him from behind, but he didn't want to end it like that. Blackbeard should look death in the face.

"Oi, shithead," he called, and Blackbeard turned around. Shanks turned as well, kicking his hoof against Blackbeard's temple.

Blackbeard never spoke another word.

* * *

They didn't manage to recover all the bodies of Benn's murdered family members, but the ones they did, received an appropriate burial.

After Blackbeard's death, the orcs didn't have anyone to follow anymore, and those who weren't killed fled back to their original home.

Luffy, Ace and Sabo were lectured by Benn for endangering themselves and Luffy, but Shanks saw through the whole charade and knew Benn was both relieved and proud.

Dragon left along with Sabo soon after the mess had been cleaned up, though it seemed Sabo, Ace and Luffy had become great friends in the meantime and they promised to keep in touch. Shanks had to smile, he was a sucker for unlikely friendships.

Robin took Luffy under her wing and promised they would find the rest of the herd that had fled. They had claimed their land back, so it was time for the centaurs to come home.

Benn and Shanks prepared for their journey home. Marco and Ace would accompany them for a large part of the way, and Shanks insisted that he and Benn at least spend one night to party with Marco's family. He did not receive any complaints.

Finally, a little over a year since Benn set out, they arrived back home with their own family. Of course, that was celebrated with the appropriate festivities as well.

That night, Shanks was lying against Benn, pleasantly buzzed from all the alcohol he consumed. "That was one hell of a party," he sighed happily.

Benn chuckled. "You must be a little out of shape. I don't think you drank nearly as much as when I left."

Shanks huffed. "I'm just getting started." He looked around at the passed out centaurs scattered around. "Well, it's no fun drinking alone."

"Perhaps we could use the fact that we're the only ones awake to our advantage," Benn suggested.

A smirk almost split Shanks' face in half. 'What are we waiting for then?" He rose, a little too fast, proved by the head rush. And, okay, maybe he had drunk a little too much, because he was slightly wobbly on his legs.

He also blamed the alcohol for his sappy words. "I'm glad you're back, Benn. I've missed you."


End file.
